Buffaloe freed on bond

Published 8:52 pm Friday, May 9, 2014

JACKSON – Christopher (Chris) Turner Buffaloe is a free man….for now.

At his initial court appearance on Thursday, Buffaloe, a local law enforcement officer and EMT Captain who faces 10 felony counts of alleged sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl, had his bond reduced from $1,294,000 to $380,000.

According to information confirmed by the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, that new bond amount was posted and Buffaloe was released from jail and now awaits his next court appearance.

Buffaloe is being represented by attorney Gilbert Chichester.

Chief District 6B Court Judge W. Rob Lewis was listed by the North Carolina General Court of Justice as the presiding Judge over Thursday’s session of Northampton County District Court.

Buffaloe was arrested Tuesday following a probe by the State Bureau of Investigation. That investigation alleges Buffaloe committed a range of crimes against the girl, from sexual intercourse to sending photos of his genitalia, between March 1 and April 14.

Buffaloe stands formally charged with six counts of felony statutory rape, to include that the defendant was more than six years older than the victim.

He was also charged with one count each of indecent liberties with a child (committed and attempted to commit a lewd and lascivious act with the child); felony second-degree exploitation of a minor (alleging Buffaloe received and solicited material that contained a visual representation of a minor engaged in sexual activity and a picture of the child’s sexual organ, and also alleging he asked the victim to send him naked pictures); felony solicitation of a child by computer (the use of a computer and through texting to arrange a meeting for the purpose of committing an unlawful sexual act with the child); and disseminating obscene material (alleging he sent a photo of his genitalia to the child).

Buffaloe has worked with several law enforcement agencies in Northampton and Halifax counties throughout his career, to include the Seaboard Police Department. He was named in January of 2010 at the Captain of Conway-Severn Rescue Squad, an entity that offers a Juniors (ages 14-17) program in an effort to get young people interested in becoming the next generation of EMT’s.